Page 76 of Beautiful Sinners

Clearing his throat, he says, “It’ll work because it’s us.”

I would love for it to be that simple, but I know there’ll be complications, jealousy, arguments, the usual relationship stuff—times three. Will it be okay if I want to be with one of them for a night? Do we all sleep in the same bed, or do I bed hop? Do I need to schedule my week to ensure that each of them gets equal time? What if I just want some ‘me’ time or want to do something with Raquelle?

He nips my ear. “You tensed up again. Stop overthinking it.”

Wiggling to indicate I want to turn over, he lifts off me, giving me enough room to maneuver onto my back.

“I can’t help it,” I reply, pulling him back down. “I can’t lose you all again.”

His weight, so solid and warm, feels wonderful. My fingers immediately dive into his thick, dark hair, brushing the wavy, wayward locks out of his face.

Tears puddle without my permission, but I don’t wipe them away. The months I spent in Ireland without them when Papa forced me into hiding broke my damn heart. I missed them so much, it hollowed me out until there was nothing left but anger and loneliness.

Constantine lowers his head and puts his ear directly over my heart, listening to its steady beat.

“You won’t,” he promises and kisses the side of my breast; however, I know all too well the fleetingness of life, especially the life we live where betrayal and death are the norm. And isn’t that the saddest fucking thing?

“The morning you came back to the house still wearing the same clothes from the night before, you said you were out doing stuff. Did you kill someone?”

Cillian insinuated over the dinner table that Constantine had killed one of his men. It’s been niggling me since.

“Yes.”

I smooth away the frown line wrinkling his brow. “Why?”

I wait.

And wait.

Until finally…

“He was the man who attacked Tristan in the alley. He’d been following you. I found him in your apartment.”

I don’t ask why the man was in my apartment. If he worked for Cillian, then I get why he was following me based on everything I’ve learned of Cillian’s role in my life once Papa asked him for help. I don’t like it, and the next time I speak with him, he and I will definitely have words about it. I refuse to be stalked by a shadow everywhere I go.

“What wereyoudoing in my apartment?”

He had come with me to help me pack when Tristan didn’t give me a choice about moving in with them. There was no reason for Constantine to return. I didn’t ask him to get anything for me. So why was he there?

Constantine’s eyes narrow just a fraction, like he’s trying to think up an explanation. When Aleksander’s voice begins whispering those stupid doubts in my ear, I turn the volume down and tell it to fuck off.

I move my hands from Constantine’s face to his chest. Every stunning, inked inch of this man is perfection. Even his blackened soul.

“Constantine.”

The bedroom door cracks against the wall when it flies open, and Tristan appears in the doorway.

“Where the fuck is my sister?”

Oh, boy.

Naked with Constantine on top of me is not how I expected to have this conversation. With a quick kiss to his cheek, I gently push Constantine off me and sit up.

Tristan charges over to the bed, grabs my legs and slides me toward him, then shoves a phone in my face.

“Your cousin was kind enough to drop this off for you. Said to make sure to give it to you as soon as you woke up.”

My stomach takes a nosedive when I see the text message from Evan on the screen.

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